Hi, sisters. Meet Benny Cerra.
Carbondale’s Cerra, a makeup artist known for creating wild and creative looks on Instagram (@bennycerra), will compete against five other beauty lovers on “Instant Influencer,” a YouTube Originals reality show hosted by noted beauty guru James Charles.
Charles made history in 2016 as CoverGirl’s first male spokesperson, and today, he has 17.7 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. The series begins on Friday, April 24, on Charles’ channel and the following episodes will be released weekly.
Cerra, who submitted an audition video last year, was chosen out of thousands of applicants and filmed the show this past January in Los Angeles.
In the “Project Runway”-style show, Cerra and fellow emerging beauty artists (called “micro influencers”) will compete in challenges. Charles, along with a panel of beauty industry judges, will choose the winner of a $50,000 cash prize. Judges include beauty influencer Norvina, president of the cosmetics brand Anastasia Beverly Hills, as well as YouTuber and beauty brand owner Nikita Dragun, socialite and original reality TV queen Paris Hilton and more.
Gia Mazur is an award-winning staff writer and beauty obsessive who joined The Times-Tribune’s Lifestyles department in 2015. She’s a product enthusiast who can’t live without an eyelash curler. A proud Virgo, Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk is her go-to. Contact: gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127; @gmazurTT
